Coffin-lifter



(NoModel.)

C, E. WILSON.

GOFFIN LIPTER.

No. 270,620. Patented Jan. 16,1883.

. Nrrnn STATES CHARLES E. VILSCN, Ol" CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

COFFIN- LIFTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 270,620, dated January 16, 1883.

Application filed May 31, 1882. (No model.)

. lowing is a speciiication.

lt has heretofore been customary to provide coftins with a series of handles rigidly fastened tothe sides of the same, whereby they could be lifted. These handles, whichare usually of an ornamental character, are expensive, and in att aching them to the coins, as is generally done,

b v screws 0r bolts, holes are formed through which air and water may enter, thus occasioning a more ra pid decomposition of the body than would occur were the cotlins perfectly tight. Es-

pecially objectionable is the use ofthe customary form -of handles upon coftins made of marble or cement, as in fastening the handles thereto it is necessary to boreholes through the sides, in which are placed the retaining-screws, usually connected to wooden strips upon the inside ofthe coffin. It is somewhat difficult to obtain a perfectly tight and durable joint between the marble or cement and the screws; and, moreover, the wooden strips in a shortJ time rot away, allowing the handles to drop off and the air and water to enter through the screw-holes.

The object ot' my presentinvention is to provide a device ofsuch construction as will render the ordinary handles unnecessary,l and will afford a ready means for lifting and moving coftins. This object of my invention I have accomplished by the mechanism hereinafter described, particularly claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this my specification. p

Figure l represents a perspective view of a cotlin with my improved lifter in place thereon. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional "iew ofa slightly-modified construction of end clamp. Fig. 3 is a cross-,sectional View upon line x w of Fig. 2, showing also the milled eccentric wheel in position. Fig. 4 is an end View of a cottin with my lifter in place, the handles being of modified construction. Fig. 5 is a side View of a portion of a coflin with lifter thereon.

Like letters of reference designate corresponding parts in the several views of the drawings.

A designates the sustaining-strips of the skeleton frame, which extend under the bottom ofthe cofin, lengthwise of th'e same, and

'are formed ofthe separable parts a and a. 4The parts a are bent upwardly, as shown, and are curved in such manner as to form the angular portions a2, which are securely connected to the handles B. The opposite ends ofthe parts a are bent,asshown,to pass through the loops a6, formed on the parts c. The partsc and a are each furnished with the series ot' holes c7, through which suitable pins are passed to hold the parts together. The handles 'B are attached at their bottoms to the sustainingstrips A, project upwardly tlierefrom,'and are provided with the bowed port-ions, as shown, in which are fastened the cross-pieces B', t0 be grasped by the hand. To these handles are attached the padded lugs b, which bear against the side ofthe cofiin and prevent any scratching ofthe same.

In the upper ends ofthe handles, which are slightly curved, are formed the loops b, through which pass the straps C, furnished each with a button or hook, c, and a series of holes, by means of which the handles may-be connected together. These straps may be formed of rubber, or of leather or other suitable material, andthe function of the series of holes is to permit ofthe adjustment of the straps to cotins of different sizes.

To the sides of the handles B are removably connected,bysuitable screw-joints, the rods D,

a set ot' suchrods being used with each size ot' cofn. y

4The angular portions c of the strips A are furnished with the padded ad justin g-screws a3, which serve to guard the cofn against any longitudinal displacement. Above the screws c3 are attached, by suitable hinged connections, the mechanism for clamping the two main parts of the skeleton frame together. This clamping mechanism, located at each end of the coffin, consists ot' the tubes E and E', arranged to slide the one within the other. The tube E is provided with the axial slot e and the broad circumferential slot e', and its end is partially closed, as shown in Fig. 3, to form the slot through which passes the ratchetbar F. rlthis ratchet-bar has a screw-threaded shank at one end, which ts into one ofthe screws of the right-and-left-hand female screw- IOO nut G, the opposite end of which works over the screw-threaded lug 63, fixed to the base of the tube E. A spiral spring, H, having one end fastened to the baseof the tube E, is attached to the ratchet-bar F, and tends to draw the tubes E and I constantly together. The nut G, furnished with perforations g, lies under the broad slot e', and is operated by a wrenchbar inserted through said slot. The tube E is provided with a slot on its top, upon the side ot' which slot are formed lugs e4, which constitute the ]`ournalbearings of the pawl I, by means of which any backward movement ofthe ratchet-bar is arrested.

Instead of forming the upper portion of the handles with loops to receive straps, as shown in Fig. 1, these handles may be extended upward and curved over, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, in which event the ends of the curved portions will be made hollow to receive the spiral springs a6 and the shanks of the padded rods r/T, which are forced normally outward by the springs. Suitable fianges are formed on the shanks ofthe rodsgT and ends ofthe curved portions ot' the handles to prevent the withdrawal ot' the rods.

In the modification ot'clam ping device shown inFigs. 2 and 3 the pawl used in connection with the ratchet-baris replaced by an eccentric milled wheel, K, furnished with a suitable handle for operating the same.

1u some instances, as in carrying a coin down stairs, it becomes necessary to employ end handles, and for this reason I have provided the removable end handles, L. end handles are furnished with the flexible straps l, having suitable hooks or buttons, l',

and holes for the same, and can be readily attached to and removed from the angular portions al, as shown.

From the above-described construction it will be seen that when a cottin is to be lifted the two main parts of the skeleton fratrie are drawn apart against the action of the spiral springs 1I a sutlicient distance to enable the sustaining-strips A to be passed over the sides and under the bottom of the coin. The parts are then drawn together by the springs, and in this action the ratchet-bars F pass freely under the pawls I, which serve eectually to prevent their backward movement. In order to clamp the parts more tightly to the coffin, the nut G is turned by a wrench-bar inserted through the broad slot e and into the perforations of the nut G. When the milled `ec centric wheel shown in Fig. 2 is employed in clamping the parts the teeth of the ratchetbar are made very small, and the wheel is arranged in such manner as to permit of the forward and arrest the backward movement of the ratchet-bar.

These The lifter can be readily adjusted to cofins of different lengths by'means ofthe pin-holes a7 on the parts a and a of the strips A, and by employing movable rods D of suitable lengths.

It is obvious that the clamping mechanism is of such construction as to readily adjust itself to coffins of any width.

Having thus described myinvention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. Acottin-lifter comprising a skeleton frame provided with sustaining strips, and with clamps for attaching the same to the coin, and provided with a series ot' handles, substantially as described.

2. A cofirlit'ter having strips for sustaining the coiiin, adjustable clamping mechanism for connecting said strips, and a series ol'handles, substantially as described.

3. A Cottin-lifter comprising a frame having strips for sustaining the coffin, said strips being adjustable, substantially as described.

et. A cotiin-lif'ter having adjustable strips for sustaining the coffin, a series of' handles extending upwardly from said strips, land side rods removably connected to said handles, substantially as described.

5. A coin-lii'ter having strips for sustaining the cofiin, a series of handles extending from said strips, clamps for connecting said strips, and straps for connecting the handles, substantially as described.

6. In a con-litter, the combination, with the sustaining-strips, ot' the clamps for con necting said strips, having their ends hinged to the strips, substantially as described.

7. In a coiIin-lifter, the combination, with the sustaining-strips A, ot' spring mechanism for drawing said strips together, substantially as described.

8. In a cothndifter, the combination, with the sustaining-strips A, ot' the tubes B and C, the ratchet-bar E, and the pawl C', substantially as described.

9. In acon-lifter, the combination, with the sustaining-strips A, ot' the tubes B and C, the ratchet-bar E, the pawl C', and the adjustable nut D, substantially as described.

l0. In a cotiin-lit'ter, the combination, with the sustaining-strips A, having upturned ends, of the adjustingscrews a3, substantially as described.

1l. In a Cottin-lifter, the combination, with the sustaining-strips, ot' the removable handles L, substantially as described.

C HARLES E. W'ILSON.

Witnesses JAMES H. Panton, GEORGE P. FISHER, Jr.

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